Srinagar: National Investigation Agency (NIA) Saturday said that it conducted searches at multiple locations in J&K in connection with the Cross LoC Trade case.
In a statement issued to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the NIA spokesman said that with the assistance of J&K Police, CRPF and ITBP, it conducted searches at 09 locations in Poonch district of UT of Jammu & Kashmir at the premises of the suspected LoC traders in relation to case no. RC-17/2016/NIA/DLI.
“The case was registered on 09.12.2016 by NIA under Section 17 of UA(P) Act, 1967. LoC Trade was started in the year 2008 as a part of confidence-building measures between J&K and PaK. The trade was based on a barter system and third party origin goods were not allowed. The instant case is related to the large scale transfer of funds from Pakistan to India through the import of California Almonds (badam-giri) and other items via the Cross LoC Trade Facilitation Centres (TFCs) located at Salamabad, Uri, District Baramulla and Chakkan-Da-Bag, District Poonch. These funds were purportedly being used for fomenting terrorism / separatism in Jammu & Kashmir,” the NIA spokesman said.
He said that investigation into the case revealed that some of the traders having excess imports were channeling the surplus profit generated to militant organizations while others are suspected to have links / connections with proscribed terrorist organizations.
“During the searches conducted today, documents, digital devices and other incriminating materials have been recovered from the premises of the suspects,” the NIA spokesman said—(KNO)
